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Wainscoting
provides an intimate, traditional
feeling in dens, bedrooms, and
bathrooms, as well as a somewhat
formal look for dining rooms.
Installation is typically 32 to 36
inches off the floor, or roughly
one-third of the room height. You
can also create real drama in a
dining room, as shown in this
project, by reversing that
proportion. Whichever proportion
you choose, adjust the top edge to
avoid running directly into
windowsills or other trim in the
room. Select wainscoting that is
thinner than door and window
casings to avoid building up the
thickness of existing door and
window trim.
The most common version is
tongue-and-groove beaded board.
The edges between boards have a
ridge or bead. Wainscoting can
also be built from a horizontal
series of panels set in frames,
similar to a row of traditional
cabinet doors. There also may be a
bead running down the center of
each board so that a single board
looks like a pair. Plywood
wainscoting sheeting is a modern,
easy-to-install alternative.
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SKILL
SCALE
Medium
TIME
REQUIRED
Variable:
Installing wainscoting depends on
the condition of the walls, the
size of the room, and the type of
beaded board you choose to put up.
Finishing and drying times for
paint or stain will also affect
the time spent on installation.
TOOLS
Pry
bar
Rubber gloves
Pencil
Notched trowel
Nail set
Hammer
Combination square
Hand plane (optional)
Caulking gun
4-foot level
Stud finder
Saber saw
Miter box or power miter saw
Saber saw
Tape measure
Paintbrush
MATERIALS
Tongue-and-groove
beaded board
Cap rail
Baseboard (optional)
Varnish or paint
Construction adhesive
#6 and #8 finishing nails
Paintable caulk
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Prefinish
all the materials before you begin
the installation. Remove the
baseboard and outlet covers. If
you are reusing the baseboard,
carefully pry it from the wall.
You may prefer to use new
baseboards with a groove to hold
the lower ends of the wainscoting
boards. Install outlet box
extension rings that allow you to
bring the outlet to the
wainscoting surface. |
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Draw
a line for the top edge of the
wainscoting. Determine the height
for the wainscoting, measure up
from the floor, and with a level,
extend a line around the room. |
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Locate
the studs. The top and the bottom
of the wainscoting are held in
place by a cap rail and a
baseboard nailed into the studs.
Locate the studs with a nail or
stud finder and mark them both at
floor level and just above the
level line. (Don't drive nails
near electrical outlets or
switches.) |
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Cut
the wainscoting to length. Begin
at either end of the wall, and
measure to determine the length of
the wainscot boards. If you have a
rabbeted baseboard, measure from
the bottom of the rabbet to the
line marking the top of the
wainscoting. If the baseboard will
be attached after the wainscoting
is installed, measure between the
line and the floor. Don't cut
everything all at once; the length
of the boards may change as you
move along because of uneven or
unlevel floors. |
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Glue
the wainscoting in place. Butt the
grooved end of a board into a
corner and nail it in place. Run a
wavy line of construction adhesive
along the back of several boards.
Spread the glue with a notched
trowel as you slip the boards into
place. Slide the tongues in the
grooves, leaving a 1/16-inch space
between the visible edges to allow
for expansion in humid weather.
Align the top edges with the level
line; check the edge for plumb
with a level. Press the boards
with the heels of your hands to
help bond the boards with the
wall. |
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Once
you install the boards you've cut
to length, measure for the next
two or three boards, and cut and
install them. Whenever a board is
over a stud, nail it in place.
Hide the nail in the groove along
the bead or drive it through the
tongue if possible. Cut or plane
as much of the last board as
needed to make it fit. Install it
by slipping it down from above. |
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Out-of-plumb
corners. Make adjustments several
boards away. Measure between the
last board and the corner at both
the top and bottom of the
wainscoting; divide the difference
by the number of boards remaining
to be installed. If the difference
is within 1/16 inch, install the
remaining boards slightly out of
plumb so the last one will be
flush with the adjoining wall. If
the gap is more than 1/16 inch,
scribe the last board to fit. |
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Install
the cap rail and baseboard. Nail
the cap rail in place with #6 or
#8 finishing nails. Miter inside
and outside corners. If the rail
is complex, cope inside corners.
If the baseboards go on top of the
beaded boards, nail them in place
using #8 finishing nails.
Countersink and fill all nail
holes. If you paint the
wainscoting, seal any gaps with
paintable caulk. |
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